


A gentleman's guide to love and rebellion

by goldenlaurels



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Victorian, F/F, F/M, Gay, Historical Fantasy, M/M, Nobility, Party, Royalty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-28
Packaged: 2019-07-14 20:35:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16048079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldenlaurels/pseuds/goldenlaurels
Summary: Harry Potter, an affluent young man who throws the biggest underground parties. Every few years he holds a month long party where the expectations of the world are left behind. Once you enter his manor you are no longer rich, or poor, you just are. And if you are willing to dance like a fool and raise a glass with the masses then you are welcome. And across the country Draco Malfoy, a pampered aristocrat has lived his whole life under his family's thumb. But there comes a time when you either resign yourself to a life of comfortable misery, or you are forced into rebellion.





	1. Chapter 1

Young men of a certain gentry are expected to act in a manner that will reflect well upon their family. The heir of an aristocrat does not live a life that is their own. The eldest daugters of nobility are married off for money and land, they are expected to bear children, preferably sons, as soon as possible. Eldest sons are to be perfect imitations of their fathers and they are to marry noble girls that they may not like, who often do not like them in return. He will marry for her dowery, and she will marry for his nobility. Then they have children and their children marry people they do not like, and they have children, and those children marry and so on and so forth. Each of them carry the burden of not only their own life but the legacy of their family as well. It is a blessing in disguise to be the heir to a fortune. When you are an heir you are treated to the best food, the best wine, the best clothes, yet expected to perform perfectly in every aspect of life. You must be well read, well spoken, cultured, poised, all while keeping your wits about you.

There are very few times in a young noble's life that they are able to cut loose from their parents watchful eye. More than anything the scrutiny of others is hardest to escape, because regardless of how sneaky you might think you've been, there will always be rumor that reaches back to your family. But while growing up, it is nearly as much a need to rebel as it is to breathe. Even if it is only in the smallest of ways. It's not all late nights and drunken stupors, at least, not for Draco. The ways in which he rebels are small and seemingly silly to his friends. Perhaps leaving the first few buttons of your shirt undone until someone tells you to do them up, sleeping in later than he should, or mucking about with the servants, and once in a blue moon traipsing off to a friend's house without telling anyone.

Draco Malfoy is not the type to rebel, he listens to his minders, and when he is asked to do something, he does it without question. It isn't that he never gets the fleeting fancy to run off with his friends and get drunk on commoner's wine. Though from time to time he allows himself to do just that if the risk of it is slim. But he has more to lose than they do. If they make a mistake there is someone else to take their place. But Draco is the lone heir to his family's legacy, the only legitimate heir at the very least. He never allows himself to go out and flirt, or dance, or make a scene and it irritates his friends to no end.

They would often bring him tales of wild nights and misadventures in an attempt to make him join in on their shenanigans. Crabbe would speak of a girl he nearly bed, and Goyle would speak of the wine and dancing he'd missed, while Blaise would weave a tale of some fantastical near miss with death or the law. In all honesty it was tempting, sometimes he wished they wouldn't tell him these stories if only to spare him the slow and agonizing passage of his youth. It felt like he was living vicariously through them, yet missing every opportunity to have adventures for himself.

As a group they would always gather at Malfoy manor, as it was the largest of all of their homes and there were never any siblings around to pester them. There weren't nearly as many listening ears and mouths willing to snitch on them and their exploits. Though there were servants, but they could always be bribed. It's not as if Draco had anything more than a handful of passing flings and drunken nights to be exploited as it is. But it is best to have any rumors contained, especially when his friends are often such scoundrels. They are aristocracy too after all, and it would be tragic to tarnish their reputations.

Crabbe and Goyle are both dukes with important family ties and money to spare. They're somehow loosely related to the Malfoys though neither side could quite tell you how. They've got the same sharp nose on them and have got to be at least distant cousins. Blaise is a first born although not a sole heir, he has five siblings as well as six half siblings. His father has mistresses to spare and Blaise takes after him in this aspect. He could charm the clothes off of nearly anyone and he uses it to his advantage at every turn. It only makes it worse that he is ridiculously attractive. He has said time and time again that if he is ever cut off, which is very likely considering how shameless he is, that he will simply find someone willing to pay for his lavish lifestyle. It is hard to tell whether or not he is joking about this or not.

The lot of them lounge about a table which is scratched, dented, and beaten to hell. They hide it whenever the Malfoy parents are about so they won't toss it out. It was a memento from the time they'd gotten wasted, this time Draco included, and stole the ugly thing from a pub. It is still sticky and horrendous to look at regardless of how many times it's been washed and buffed by the servants. It is an old pub table and it would stick out like a sore thumb among all of the grandeur of the Malfoy mansion regardless of what they do to it. The juxtaposition of it makes them look like a band of misfits who only stumbled upon luxury perchance and they are rather fond of the idea.

The table is only brought out for the worst of offenses. If there is a chance they might be disowned arrested or killed the plan was always hatched around the table which had been lovingly dubbed the cunt's counter. Tonight's suggestion is especially heinous, not just because it was worse than anything they'd done before, but this time they have refused to let Draco bow out.

"I would sooner be tried as a witch than let you miss this party." Blaise said crossing his arms over his chest and looking sternly at Draco.

"You would undoubtedly die a horrible death, you aren't much of a saint." Draco retorted, hoping he might shift the topic away from him, or at least away fro the party.

"I may be sinful, but I've obviously been blessed by god." He said gesturing to himself then settling his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands to frame his face. He stared wide eyed in faux innocence at Draco and he nearly laughed, as Blaise is the least innocent of any one of them.

"Aren't you full of yourself today." Said Draco cracking a smile and rolling his eyes as he leaned back in his chair.

"He's been buzzed since noon." Goyle said with a small laugh as Blaise grabbed a coaster off the table and chucked it at him. It missed by half a foot without even a flinch from Goyle. Blaise sunk back into his chair sulking.

"Well that explains it." Draco said as if the matter had been resolved. "You'll sober up and let me off the hook, I have no reason to go and we would surely be caught." He nodded to Crabbe and Goyle expecting them to back him up like they normally did when Blaise thought up something insane. But when he looked over neither of them were quite looking him in the eye.

Crabbe sighed and when he finally looked at Draco his expression was steely. "We talked about it on the way over and he may be a drunkard, but he's right." This pushed Goyle to speak up too.

"You haven't been caught once! What's the worst they could do to you?" Draco took a breath in, intending to list a dozen things that could potentially go wrong. But before he was able to Goyle slammed his fist on the table and it shook so violently, as if it might topple to pieces. "Be bold! For once in your life!"

Surprised by the outburst Draco stuttered looking shocked "I- well- you know I can't-" Draco said haltingly, but Crabbe cut him off.

"We've already got a plan, so just listen."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An awful plan and an even worse announcement  
> The duties of a young aristocrat are immense and innumerable

Draco's friends aren't the most cunning of strategists, they are charming, witty, handsome, but planning is not their strongest of suits. They're the sort that act first and question their logic after they've landed in trouble. Thus their plan was less a plan than it was a vague idea. "This is ridiculous! Absolutely not! It would absolutely go wrong!"

"Come on, it's simple! We just tell our parents we're each staying at the other's homes. They aren't too fond of one another so that will buy us a weekend at the very least. If we leave tomorrow we'll have plenty of time to get there for the first weekend of the party then we'll return and they'll be none the wiser." Crabbe said pushing back his chair and standing as if the matter is settled.

"If you believe my parents trust the lot of you enough for that then you must be dim." Draco said with a rueful laugh. "They'd be calling me back before we had even made it out of the city."  
Blaise sighed standing from the table as well and running his hands through his hair, a nervous habit he'd developed since it had grown out. "I suppose you're right." He said starting to pace around the table. "And with whatever they're planning it would probably requires your presence, we can go at a later date if necessary but-"  
"What do you mean? What are they planning?" Draco asked confused and annoyed that they aren't listening to his refusals.

"You didn't notice the servants scurrying about, you must be dim." Blaise teased and after a moment of Draco staring at him blankly he laughed. "You really didn't notice?" But now that Draco thought about it the servants had been rushing about more so than usual the last few days. They'd even let him sleep in, which he'd thought was just a stroke of luck.  
Draco leaned in his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "What do you think they're planning?" And he looked at them expectantly hoping that they might just take the bait. He is curious after all, and distracting them was just an added bonus.

"You're not getting off that easy, we're not done talking about this!" Blaise said stopping mid stride to look at him accusingly and Draco groaned slouching back into his seat. "We're going to be having the tie of our lives, and you'll be here, bored out of your mind. So at the very least, consider it."  
"No I-" He started but was promptly stopped by the opening of doors. Immediately Draco's back straightened in his chair, hoping that it wasn't his parents. But to his relief it was only one of the servants and so he slumped back in his chair.

"Good afternoon, Sir Malfoy." She said quietly bowing slightly at the waist, Draco couldn't remember her name even though she had been working in the manor at least a month. Though he was gratefully spared as she continued on "Your parents have requested your presence in the east library." Draco restrained himself from groaning, though his friends didn't do the same.

And as he rose to follow her out the door Blaise called after him "Consider it, mate!" before the door closed with a dull thud. They really were more trouble than they were worth, though their insistence on dragging him into their schemes is a great source of entertainment.

The servant girl scurried off to the kitchens and he was left alone. And he noticed just how busy it was around the castle. Servants were running about everywhere and when he passed the main ballroom he realized that it had been cleaned top to bottom. How blind had he been not to notice? A young woman came running through the hall, so focused on her destination and not dropping the wine glasses she was balancing on trays of each of her arms that she nearly ran straight into Draco and he had to dodge out of her way. She murmured an apology before rushing off down the hall.

When he arrived at his father's office he was standing behind his chair and his mother was looking prim beside him. It's as if they were statues standing there among the books around them and the window back lit them making them appear almost as shadows. He had seen them do this before but mostly as a precursor to important business transactions. It was meant to intimidate and Draco had to admit that it was in fact intimidating, even more so, as both of them are taller than Draco making them feel as though they are glowering down at him. Immediately he was on edge, surely he hadn't done anything dire enough to be deserving of punishment. "Good afternoon, Mother, Father." He bowed slightly and took a seat, they stayed standing for several moments more and it only made him feel smaller.

Once they sat his father steepled his fingers in front of him and his mother sat straight backed with her hands in her lap. Still they seemed statuesque and he tried to mirror them, his back straight and his hands steepled in front of him. "Draco, we have some news to discuss with you." His mother started, her tone light. Draco nodded feeling a growing tension in the room though he wasn't sure if he was only creating it in his mind. "Well, we'll be hosting a party tonight, your clothes are laid out for you and-"  
"If you're not going to get to the point, then I'll tell him." His father cut in and Lucius looked back at him and he seemed strangely resolute, as if he was about to give his final offer in a long winded deal. "You have been betrothed." He says stiffly, and for a moment Draco is tempted to laugh. But when neither of his parents crack a smile a sense of dread fills him.

"I'm...betrothed?" He repeated sounding bewildered even to himself and his mother nods to him. "To who?" He asks, his voice rising quickly into hysterics.

"To whom." His mother corrects out of habit but she seems to realize now is not the time for a lesson and sighs. "Pansy Parkinson, she is a lovely girl." She said in a reassuring tone, though it was not reassuring in the slightest.

"Who the hell is Pansy Parkinson?" He nearly shouts, and he has the urge to stand, perhaps slam his hands on his father's desk or storm out of the room but he manages to restrain himself.

"You will meet her tonight, at the party, and we plan for you to be married within the month." His father said in an even tone meant to calm him, but he has never felt less calm.

  
"DO I GET A SAY IN THIS?" He yells this time, and he does in fact slam his hands on top of his father's desk but neither his mother nor father flinch. They are looking at him silently and it feels as though they have become statues again. These aren't his parents, they wouldn't marry him off to a girl he's never met. He knew he would end up in an arranged marriage, but he is too young, and courting takes time. His stomach does a flip when he sees no remorse from his parents. Their faces are vacant and he is so filled with anger and adrenaline that being met with their stony expressions only fuels him further.

Quickly though his mother breaks the silence,"She is beautiful, well educated, and from a good family, she will make a wonderful bride." and she says it as if she is talking about a particularly nice roast.

"And I'm sure her dowry is impressive!" Draco yelled, and their silence was only confirmation. It didn't matter who she was or whether they hated one another, all that mattered was that she was from a rich family and had a big dowry. There was so much anger growing inside him that he was tempted to throw something across the room and his father's ash tray was within reach. But instead he turned, storming out of the office and fumed his way through the halls.


End file.
